Free Loader
by RenjiMarkings
Summary: Renji and Ichigo start a battle, in Elizabeth's backyard and end up destroying part of her house. In return, Renji is forced to fix it...as well as start a new blossoming relationship with his Keeper for the time being. OCxRenji ByakuyaXOC
1. PrologueCh1:Keeper Cleaner

**Free-Loader**

**Prologue**

From the corner of her eyes, came a flash of red and black streak across the yard, followed by an orange headed teen with a broad sword brandishing as he stood on top of the rocks of the Koi pond in the backyard. They shouted, not even noting that the girl was staring at them with an annoyed look. Here she was, with her homework on her lap and these two were getting in the way of something important!

"Renji! Renji you bastard, get back here! Pay me!"The orange headed one shouted, the large sword coming over his shoulder. The red head just looked at him, his white-banded brow narrowing some as he smirked.

"For what? That bad tasting swill and the meager meal? No! Won't do it, carrot top!"The red-head, presumably Renji shouted in.

"I am sick and tired of your lazy ass bummin' meals off of me in that Gigai!" The carrot-top shouted. It seemed awkward to the by stander that just sat there a bit stunned to see two guys of the same shade of hair screaming at each other, brandishing swords and balancing on rocks in the pond. Soon enough, the orange-top started chasing the red-head, taking it into her house in which she had to duck.

_'Just who are these guys...And their gonna end up destroying my house!'_ She thought loudly to herself. They hadn't even noticed that she was sitting right there, ducked under the table as their swords crashed, names being shouted until the red head was out cold, floating face down in the pond. The orange-top huffed, steaming out of the house before looking back to see her staring at him.

"Sorry lady...We...uh...Had no more room he said, almost." The orange-top joked before hopping off before the girl could even retaliate, though he didn't know she could see him clearly. She merely stared at the fence that he leapt over easily when he took off, her eyes trailing to the red-head in the pond just before a body was tossed over the fence, one that looked identical to the fiery one mixed with the koi.

"The hell just happened..."The girl said aloud to no one in particular, standing to go see about fishing in the pond out back.

Chapter 1: **The Keeper, the Cleaner**

Narrow eyes slowly craned open, the gaze moving across the room decorated in soft greens. Blinking, Renji sat up, his hands going to his sword which wasn't at his hip. Instead, it lay on the desk, his black and white uniform laying neatly folded beside it. Slowly, he realized his clothes had been changed into a pair of men's pajamas of an annoyingly bright flannel. His calloused and rough hand went to his hair, which had been let down and towel dried...then combed. It was never usually combed. He scrambled out of the bed before tripping on something. His Gigai lay on the floor, dead, breathing and cold as usual but in a pair of pajamas as well.

_'Just who did this...And how the hell did they see us?!'_Renji thought boisterously in his head before hearing the door of the room opening, climbing back into the bed and laying back the way he was. The girl from that afternoon when Ichigo and himself started to fight over a koi pond in someone's yard.

_'Hmph...Must of been hers. Did she see us?'_ He wondered, his eyes opening as he pretended to stir from his sleep. The girl seemed to notice as she settled the white band that was about his head on the pile of his clothes on the desk.

"You're awake. You got knocked out into my Koi pond...Startled the poor dears to death, you did. Food's on the table, it's around dinner now. Clothes are dry too...but your twin on the floor had been out for some time now."The girl said, looking to the Gigai on the floor. Renji raised an eyebrow before following her gaze to it, smirking some as he sat up.

"He'll be fine. I gotta be going anyway..."Renji scoffed before moving out of bed, before being stopped with a pointed finger in his tattooed forehead. "What?"

"Your going to fix my house first. You and your friend completely destroyed it in your squabble and now you're going to pay the price."The girl said, poking him in the middle of the forehead, causing him to wince some.

"Gee okay!"Renji said, smacking her hand away before standing, his foot stepping on to the Gigai before he sat up inside of the substitute body, looking up at her. "I'll fix your damn house and then get the hell out, alright?!"

The girl looked a little appalled and shocked at the same time, for Rengi's head was far too close for comfort. She was already trying to get the itching, crawling feeling from her arms from having to lug him into her bedroom. Touching him was like having dozens of ticks crawl along her arms and then down her shirt...

"Fine...Just, get dressed and come look at the damage after dinner."She said with a slight huff. "By the way _Renji_, my name is Elizabeth..."

"_Eeereezaabeethu_? What kind of name is that?"Renji teased as he stood from the floor, moving to the desk to retrieve some clothing.

"American. Just hurry up."Elizabeth said, her eyes narrowing as she stomped off.

Renji's eyebrow, or what was left of them after bits of tattooing over the years, raised some. This, Izza, he dubbed her, was some piece of work. Nothing like Rukia but there was something about her that reminded him of Ichigo...Ichigo! That half-assed Carrot top left off at their fight! He scrambled up but reconsidered it...maybe he could benefit from staying away from him for a while.

'_I mean...What do I got to lose? I get a place to stay, and free meals...I could live here for a while...and just take my time on the construction. He he...'_ Renji contemplated as he slipped his clothes on and soon was wandering about the rather large house to find the dining area. This place was huge! Just wandering around the place was like wandering around a palace or just the soul society compound in general. When he finally found the dining area, Izza already reading a strange book with many awkward characters he didn't recognize that his eyes started to swirl a bit in the Gigai.

"You're late."Elizabeth scoffed.

"Yeah, well this place is fuckin' huge."Renji said with a shrug, sitting down in front of the table at a meager meal. He didn't argue. It was lukewarm and he could still eat it.

"Foul mouthed and a hoodlum..."Elizabeth mumbled as she looked back to her book, reading intensively.

"Bookworm."Renji mumbled with a mouthful of rice.

He received a glare from across the table. After dinner, Elizabeth gave him a list of what was needed to fix the damage he had done to her home then showing him the true monstrosity of what he had done to her living room, the damage to the koi pond and part of a storage room.

"Damn...Guess we got carried away." He muttered under his breath, getting a glance from Elizabeth. "What?"

"Nothing. You can stay until you fix the house...but then get out."Izza said icily before turning and leaving the room, heading to her bedroom.

_'Such and ice queen..._ He thought before going to start sweeping things up awkwardly. He hadn't held a broom in...ever. He never had to do such work back at the soul society, being 2nd in command at the 6th Division from Captain Kuchiki. _'She's nothing like Rukia, nothing like her...'_

"Hey, where am I staying?"Renji said as he ran out into the hall, looking around for her. Izza was gone but he could pick up her presence pretty easily. He found her down a few rooms, squatting on the porch with her head resting on a pillar. Was she reading...again?! His feet treaded across the tatami before stopping behind her, looking down at her with his arms crossed firmly across. "Hey, did you hear me at all?!"

Elizabeth didn't move but more of fell backwards, the book hitting the ground. She had fallen asleep, studying but dozed off. Sleeping help the stress go away but she hadn't meant to doze off while sitting on the porch. Renji looked stunned, looking at her with a blank, clueless look. She was out like a rock, her breaths evenly going in and out...her violently red hair sprawling across the dark cherry wood.

_'Man she fell asleep...'_Renji thought. Despite his aggressive nature, he kneeled down, rolling her onto her back and picking her up under the back and knees to carry her bridal style across the living room and back to the bedroom he'd been laying in before, which he figured was her room with some of the girly furnishings that were in there. Not that he didn't mind being set in her room...though it was awkward enough. He settled her limp, tired body down, noticing that she had cuddled close to the warmth to his gigai body.

_'Nothing...Nothing like her...'_Renji's thoughts kept ringing through his head as he pulled the sheets back, laying her down and covering her up, putting the book on the nightstand. He stopped a moment in his three-quarter turn it took to head to the door to look back over his shoulder. She could have done anything, turned him into the police, kicked him out on the street...Hell, if she'd been cruel, she'd kill the gigai for trespassing. She didn't. And for that, somewhere inside his head, he was grateful. Turning, he started to head around the house to see about cleaning up some of the debris and fix what he could...though he may not be good at it.


	2. Chapter 2: Taicho

Chapter 2: **Taicho**

Elizabeth stirred, her jade eyes opening to see the same colored wall staring back at her. Her eyes widened slightly as she sat up, seeing how dark it was just outside the glass window. She slipped out of bed, picking up her book from the nightstand and heading into the living room only to see that Renji was there, plopped down in front of her television set with a few empty chip bags splayed around him and a soda can in his hand.

_"Konbanwa..."_ Renji droned rather dully as he stared at the television, having felt her presence down the hall.

_"Konb--_ What the hell did you do to the living room?! It's a mess!"Elizabeth bantered, going to start cleaning up the chip bags, sticking them in a trashcan in the corner of the room. "How could one guy eat so many chips?"

"I was hungry, and you had nothing in your fridge that was filling."Renji droned again, too consumed in a historical drama to notice she was fuming. She marched to the kitchen, only to see that it was a mess as well. She cleaned it up, but by the time she had finished, it had already grown later than it needed to. In the living room, Renji had flopped down on the floor, the television turned off and the soda can balanced on the white headband around his head.

"Lazy bum...He'll work twice as hard tomorrow when I take him shopping for the stuff and to find a repairman to actually come and fix it better..."Izza mumbled before shutting off the light, moving to close and lock the Shoji screen door. Slowly, she turned around, cleaning up the mess around him before seeing about getting him up and into bed. Into the guest bedroom bed. Not hers. The last thing she wanted to do was share a bed with a stranger.

Renji, with all the movement, eventually got up and walked groggily himself as she lead him down the twisted halls of her almost mansion-like home. He was eventually pushed into a pale blue room, the door closed behind him as he marched to the bed, kicking off his shoes and pulling down his trousers that the gigai had donned. He was fine in sleeping in just his earth 'boxers'...but not before feeling a pair of dark eyes on him. He sat up in the bed, looking around before seeing his Taicho, Byakuya-sama leaning against the door.

"Byakuya!"Renji said, having leap from the bed.

"You haven't finished the mission at all...What is it that keeps you from finishing it?"He questioned, his voice soft but calculating.

Renji looked down at his scantly clad self before going to see about putting his clothes back on. As late and as tired as he was, it was best that things were resolved quickly without another mess.

"Kurasaki and I made a mess of things and I've been forced to clean it up by the owner of this place."Renji said as he tugged on his pants, zipping them up quickly.

"Oh..."Byakuya cooed in a bemused tone. He moved from the door, his arms removing themselves from his black and white uniform.

"Wait, Captain, where are you going?"Renji asked as he followed, his naked gigai feet padding on the floor.

"To see about business..."Byakuya said in his official tone.

"B-Business!?"Renji nearly shouted but followed relentlessly to where Byakuya was picking Elizabeth's energy signal was. Elizabeth was just picking up on her reading again when Renji and a new man came barging into the living room where she sat on her knees at the low table. Her eyes narrowed a bit when she saw the red head before turning her attention to Byakuya.

"Can I help you, sir?"She questioned, closing her book.

"I'm Abarai Renji's Captain as well as his boss. I've come to talk about the terms of why your keeping him from his work."Byakuya said as he sat across from Elizabeth at the low table, settling his katana against his shoulder and leg in case there was a need for a quick draw. Renji could feel the tenseness between the two as his Taicho could feel the same between Renji and Elizabeth.

"Would you like some tea as we discuss this?"Elizabeth offered, moving to head to the kitchen.

"If you would be so kind..."Byakuya said calmly, his arms folded into his sleeves once more.

Elizabeth nodded, sending a shot of a glare towards Renji before going down the hall to the kitchen to prepare a hot pot of tea. The taicho looked over his shoulder at the tattooed one.

"I can see why she's upset with you."He said, his calm eyes narrowed some.

"How's that, Taicho-sama?"Renji asked, his eyes cast ashamedly down.

"You destroyed her home...and most likely didn't apologize for it either. Not only that, I must figure you were not grateful that she didn't toss you and that gigai onto the street in rage of it all. She's got patience and the making of a shinigami."Byakuya said in a slightly bemused tone as he saw Renji's face drop, the aggressive red-head not to pleased with the scolding he was getting. "And not to mention, I will be asking to stay here as well to make sure you complete the work. For now, I'll assign the other mission to someone else while your here."

"What?!"Renji shouted, the Shoji screens shaking in their rails.

Elizabeth heard a few things shake in her home, her eyes narrowing when she heard a very loud yell through out the house. Sighing, she poured the hot tea into a kettle, taking three cups and the kettle itself on a tray into the living room area where she set it down on the table as well as several tea cakes.

"I heard a yell...Did something happen?"Elizabeth said in a bemused tone as she glanced up at Renji's face, the look of horror and grief thrown across it like he had been told something violent and scary at the same time.

"I just told Renji my plans...Which I have been meaning to ask you something, Miss..."Byakuya said, insisting on asking her name.

"No Miss...Just Elizabeth...Or Ritza will do."She said, indicating to her name in how it was pronounced the easy way for him.

"Ritza. I've been meaning to ask if I could stay here and keep an eye on Renji's progress on your home. That way, it's safe to say, that it gets done and he'll have guidance as well."Byakuya said in a formal tone, receiving a freshly poured cup of tea from Ritza as she had done it neatly for him. He could see from across the table she had been thinking about it since she had poured the tea.

"That would be wise...but I do have to warn you that my parents will be home in several weeks to a month since their away on business. I do attend a college class three times a week so I won't be home often and I do grocery shopping twice a week. If you leave a list out, I can get what you'd like."Elizabeth said as she accepted the offer as well as setting her grounds on her schedule. With that in mind, she sipped her tea, Byakuya doing the same.

Renji, however, felt nauseas with this information. Byakuya-sama under the same roof!? As this wretched woman that was keeping him here just for her home?! He stood up slowly, wobbling before going to leave the room.

"Who said you could leave Lieutenant..."Byakuya said as he set his tea cup down.

"I'm heading to bed Captain..."He said, sliding the Shoji open and then closing it behind him.

Elizabeth stared at the door before her eyes casted down, before turning back to Byakuya.

"Forgive his attitude. He was raised in a rough situation as a child and was raised to be cold as so. But he'll warm up once he gets used to how this world works."Byakuya said as he looked back to the Shoji. "You have a nice home, and I want to see to it that it's repaired correctly."

"Thank you, Byakuya-san." Ritza responded before having to cover her mouth for a yawn. "But, If you'll excuse me, I have class tomorrow and I need to get to bed. There's a room down the hall from Renji's that you may use. Good Night."

With that, she got up, bowed and headed out of the living room area. She would let Byakuya do as he pleased. The Shinigami finished his tea quietly after she left but moved to leave and retire as well.

The next morning, Ritza had left but left the two Shinigami Soul Reapers to do as they pleased. However, Byakuya made sure Renji cleaned up as much as he could before Ritza went to take him shopping for supplies that the house didn't have.

"Why am I doing all of this?! You could help too ya know Taicho!"Renji said as he was bent over with a cloth as he scrubbed the porch of the caked on mud prints.

"You've done the damage and now you pay the price. That's all there is to it."Byakuya as he stood over him in his own Gigai, the glasses pressed against his nose firmly. "You missed a spot."

"Shaddap." Renji mumbled as he scrubbed a bit harder, hearing the Shoji slide open and another pair of footsteps come in.

Ritza came in with a tired look, setting her bag down in the corner before flopping down beside the table, her head on the seat cushion. "What a day..."

"Welcome home. Did you have a decent class?"Byakuya asked, his eyebrows raised. Ritza almost didn't recognize him if it weren't for his voice.

"Exams. They took up most of the classes."Ritza whined, getting a surprised look when Renji stared at her. She blinked, following his eyes to the point where her cleavage started. "Pervert!"

"You were laying like that! It's irritating!"Renji said, his cheeks turning red as he continued to scrub.

"Then keep your eyes off my rack and back to scrubbing, ya tattooed scrooge!"She said as she rolled onto her stomach, sitting up.

Renji looked appalled as Byakuya stared, his dark eyes blinking at the both of them. He quietly moved off to the side, along the porch and disappearing around the corner as the heated stares between the two continued. Ritza eventually got up and left the room, leaving Renji fuming since their fight hadn't started. And that wench just walked away too!

_'Ungrateful...I should just stop what I'm doing and leave but noooo, Byakuya has to be here too. I could be at least given some leniency because I was the one that lost...Ugh! I wasn't the one that was supposed to lose anyway! Damn it Ichigo!'_Renji argued in his head, his hands wringing the cloth in his hands until it ripped. The house was quiet as the red-headed man sat on the porch, his head between his legs as the heat of the day started to hit the home. Elizabeth had made lemonade which went quickly between just the three of them before Renji's orders were given to finish cleaning up the porch and to fix the Koi pond with what equipment they had for it.

Clean out the pond.

Feed the fish.

Replaced the damaged stones.

Rake the Zen sand around the stones.

Clean up the equipment.

Help with Dinner.

Renji did everything in the order that was listed though he argued about having to help Ritza with Dinner. He didn't want anything to do with the feisty, naive woman and her mile long list of chores for him to do. Even though she did her fair share on the inside, he was stuck in the sweltering heat of the day, the sun beating on his back and scolding it red as his hair. At the end of the day, She would help him put Aloe on to soothe the burns and then bitch at him for not wearing lotion. That seemed to be their only routine for the next day after the Koi pond had been fixed.


	3. Chapter 3: Moment

Chapter 3: **Moment**

Renji's merciless tasks began with the roof that had a long slash along it. In the heat of the summer, he banged on the roof, Elizabeth and Byakuya watching with careful eyes. Several occasions he fell off when the tiles slipped out from underneath his feet. At the end of the day, the roof and the broken pillar had been fixed up, Renji bright red from head to toe from sun burn. Despite how pressing she would be for him to do it right, Ritza was kind enough to provide more Aloe.

"Owww..."Renji moaned as her hand moved to a more sensitive burn.

"You should have kept your shirt on. I told you that if you didn't they'd get worse. Your even starting to peel now and even more than yesterday."Ritza scolded as she rubbed his back, receiving a pleased groan from Renji. Her eyebrow raised, then narrowed before she applied more Aloe.

"I didn't know your Gigai would feel pleasure."She said, chuckling only slightly.

"It acts like a human...Wait, pleasure?"Renji said, turning on his side as he looked at her, his cheeks turning a darker red.

"Yeah...Pleasure. You groaned, I thought you liked it."Ritza shrugged.

"I did but that doesn't mean it was _pleasurable..._" Renji said lowly before getting a shove from her hand to lay down again as she spread it along his back again. Her hands felt like he was laying on a bed of rollers, each one kneading and pushing out the little tensions. He couldn't help but groan more as he relaxed.

_'Though...It does feel good.'_ He mumbled in his thoughts, though he wouldn't let that stupid human know.

A sudden jerk got his attention and then a push onto his back where it was already slicked up. He felt the coolness of the Aloe on his pectorals, his hazy brown eyes closing as he relaxed. He could have done it to himself but...Why bother? He didn't have to move and she was doing it all anyway. Byakuya had slid into the room a moment before, taking the aloe and applying it liberally on the back of his neck and arms where it was burned the most.

"He could probably do it himself..."Byakuya mused as he watched Ritza's hands move around his chest.

"I know...But I guess I owe him some for doing such a quick job on the shingles."She said, looking over her shoulder to see Byakuya slather up his hands with the Aloe and shifting over as she felt his hands on her shoulder and neck.

"His work is his work..."He said smoothly though he suddenly felt a pair of eyes on him as he saw Renji glaring slightly. His attention from her hands had been taken away and Byakuya knew he wasn't too happy about it. This could be interesting...

As Ritza's hands moved along Renji, her shoulders were being massaged by Byakuya. It was an interesting feeling working and both being treated. Ritza couldn't help but melt her hard exterior for a moment to show her inner self of a simple young woman with a need of a little TLC. The look on Renji's face was near priceless when he saw a pair of hands slink downwards, not to her back, but to her front. Immediately he sat up to grab the hands but only to grab her chest instead. Ritza let out a shriek of horror, pushing them both off and scrambling to her feet.

"Wh-What the hell are you two doing!? Perverts!"She said as she covered her chest from the shirt she was wearing before running off to her room to change.

The two Shinigami were stunned.

"Oh my...I didn't mean to make her uncomfortable."Byakuya said, blinking out of surprise.

"Well ya did! And look what you made me do too, Taicho!" Renji shouted before he stood up, slipping his shirt over his head and getting up. He needed to apologize and quickly if they didn't want to get tossed out for a mistake! His feet followed behind Ritza's trail before stopping at her door. He knocked on it, only getting the sounds of a muffled 'Go away!'. His hand jiggled the doorknob, only to find it locked. Sighing, he backed away, bringing his foot up and banging on the door only to hear a screech from inside.

"Renji stop it!"Ritza shouted as she went to the door and opened it before he could do some real damage. Renji tumbled in, clutching his foot.

"Oowww...I only wanted to apologize. I didn't mean to grab them but Taicho-sama was making a move that was...out of bounds!"Renji shouted, indicating to her chest. Ritza blushed, her hands x-ing over her chest in an embarrassed way.

"Just get out..."She mumbled, turning around. She heard Renji stand but not the sound of him leaving. He didn't. Instead, she felt a pair of arms about her that picked her up by the waist like she was nothing but a doll before setting her on the bed. She lay on her back, her hands still over her chest while Renji pinned her there with a serious look.

"You'll listen. I said I'm sorry...And if your not going to listen to me, I'll show you an apology!"Renji said, getting a narrow-eyed look from the woman beneath him.

"Show me an apology? Ha!"Ritza scoffed before she felt a pair of lips on hers, firm hands grabbing her wrists and pinning them off to the sides of her head. She could feel the poking...the prodding of something thin and slimy trying to weasel it's way through her lips before her lips parted in curiosity, Renji's tongue sliding along hers once it had been allowed access. It seemed to last for minutes before they both broke, Renji's hands releasing her.

Ritza was standing on water, her legs woozy with just that 'apology' in itself.

"O—Oh..."Elizabeth stuttered, sitting up right on her bed. "Apology accepted."

"Good."Renji said in an embarrassed way before turning to leave, only to have a hand grab his shirt and force him to turn around. A lean body pressed against his before he knew it, a pair of lips forces along his. Ritza was kissing him...The desire from her hotter than the summer heat outside.

His eyebrows raised in surprised, his hands at her sides though he didn't push her off. Soon as they pulled off, a firm slap against his face snapped him out of it, the flash of Elizabeth's skirt around the corner. Whatever they had done had either upset her or he wasn't supposed to remember or say anything to Byakuya or anybody else. Shaking his head, he moved to the bed and lay down on it, his face mushed into the pillow.

_'No...No no...She wouldn't just do that to tease...or pay back...'_Renji thought, cursing himself mentally. Eventually, he got up and headed back to deal with showering and peeling off the skin from his Gigai from the sunburns.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth was taking care of a few things around the house, asking Byakuya to help was well despite the fact he still thought some of the things were above him. While they cooked and cleaned up a few things Renji emerged from the bathroom in a bathrobe, his hair down and in a braid since I was nearing the time for getting ready for bed. At least to him. His body ached some as he sat down and waited around as dinner was set though he made sure to sit far away, out of arm's reach from both Ritza and Taicho-sama. Once dinner was over, he helped to clean up but slinked away to the back porch, a tea pot and cup in his hands. He needed that moment where he could sit quietly, away from both his kidnapper and his warden. Just that moment of time where he wasn't listening to orders and instead was listening to the sounds the Gigai's ears picked up.


	4. Chapter 4: Truth between them

* * *

I'm backkk! I can't believe I was gone for so long .. I received message after message in my inbox asking when Free Loader was going to be updated! Today is the day! I guess I just needed a good push. Free loader will update for now. Earthen Wonder possibly on Hiatus until FL is done.

Chapter 4: ** The Truth between them**

The relationship between Ritza and Renji grew steadily more awkward after the kiss. Ritza would leave the room when Renji came in from doing the work outside or somewhere around the house and Renji would just turn red and sit down quietly. Byakuya would leave the real world once in a while to tend to business back in the Soul Society. A few days later, things had calmed down but Ritza's once fiery temper seemed to dull some. She sat on her back porch with a dazed look, a letter in her hands. Renji had finished the lunch dishes when he came outside to see that she was looking...exhausted. The news of the letter must not have been a very good one.

"Lemme see that."He gruffly said, squatting down beside her.

Ritza looked at him, narrowed her eyes and tucked the letter underneath her bottom so he wouldn't dare go after it. "It's none of your business. You wouldn't get it anyway...It's real world stuff..."She muttered, looking back out to the repaired koi pond. "You've probably never heard of such a thing."

"Try me." He said, again, gruffly, extending his hand to take the letter.

Ritza gave him another look, sighing in some defeat and handing him the letter after she smoothed it out from having sat on it. Renji took the letter, turning it to read it and frowned. Denied. Rejected from Tokyo University.

"What's 'Tokyo University'?" He asked, certain that it was almost like the academy.

"See...Told you. It's the school I'm trying to get into...but because I didn't have good marks in the field I wanted to study under, they denied me despite I got near perfect on the Entrance exam..."She explained, letting out a whiny huff and digging the palms of her hands into her eyes that stung with wetness. A warm arm wrapped about her.

"So what? Just apply somewhere and get better." Renji said, his voice sincere. He knew the feeling of being rejected...though it was sort different cases between them.

"It's not that easy."

"So? Just try it anyway. If you can't get any better there, then keep going for it. Do what you didn't do before and do it better." Renji's arm wrapped a little more firmly around her, his brown hues staring into hers. He could see the heat rise to her cheeks and it wasn't just because of the warm evening.

"Alright...I'll give it a few tries..."Ritza mumbled before squirming out of his arm, standing to her feet and brushing her shoulders off. "But don't think that this will get you out of those chores. You still have more stuff to do."

Renji smirked, his tattoos stretching some with his face and neck in the motion. It made the hair on the back of her neck stand up straight. Was this why he was lieutenant? Because of how he looked when he did that? Ritza shook it off and retreated back inside to her room. Sitting down on the bed, her feet dug some into the floor, her fingers playing with the hem of her skirt. She was trying to think of something other than the smirk, his lips in the curl and the almost plumpness of them. It sent pleasant shivers down her spine...A knock on the door brought her attention back to the real world again as she stood to answer, seeing Byakuya there with what looked like a large bento box.

"Tonight there are fireworks...Perhaps, I was wondering if you would like to accompany the lieutenant and I?"He asked, his violet eyes watching her with amusement. Ritza swallowed a little hard but smiled and nodded.

"I'd love to. Wait, Renji is coming too?"She asked, her eyebrows raising.

"Why not? I am his Taicho...I can give him permission to go."He said calmly.

"I guess...And he managed to fix the tatami.."She said, rubbing under her chin a little. "He can go...And I guess he can have the rest of the evening off. After all, it's a cool evening...it'll do some good on his sunburn."

"Exactly. Prepare a blanket or two if you'd like. We'll leave before the sun fully sets."He addressed before nodding and turning away in his regal manner. Ritza couldn't help but stick her tongue out at the order. She stepped out of her room to dig around for the blankets in the hall closet. Just as she had kicked the door closed, her eyes caught mostly a red and black chest, her pupils following up to see a sort of aggravated Renji.

"Where's the aloe?"He asked, his eyes narrowed.

"We ran out. I'll go run out tomorrow but you need to go and get something light on. We're going to go see the fireworks tonight."Ritza told him, shooing him away. She was about to turn away and pack the blankets up in a bag when a firm hand on her shoulder. Turning, she looked to see Renji, a bit red faced, looking at her.

"Look, about that day..."He started before Ritza put a finger to his lips.

"Make it up to me later. Right now, go do what I asked. Byakuya has Bento for us if we hurry." She said, turning to finish what she started. At the sound of Bento, Renji was already scurrying off to find his blue yukata with the black squiggles on it. He exchanged his awkwardly colored purple head band that came with his gigai for his white one, getting changed quickly. Out in the hall, Ritza and Byakuya were already waiting for him. Ritza was dressed in a lovely rich dark blue yukata with a yellow belt, pomegranates and gold lettering trailing around her body. Byakuya wore a plain purple one with a black belt settled low at his hips.

"Lieutenant Abarai, you shouldn't take so long to get ready. I can already hear the fireworks starting."Byakuya said, using a charming but hidden smirk. Renji looked startled but he cleared his throat and followed behind them as they headed out, Ritza locking up.

A few minutes later they were at the park, sitting down on a grassy hill near the river bank as people went past the old vendors with their funny masks, balloons and bags of fresh fish that probably wouldn't make it out through the week. Ritza sat between Byakuya and Renji...but not for long. A couple of voices behind them caused them all to freeze and look over their shoulders.

"Yo, Renji! And Byakuya? Who's that?"Ichigo said, rubbing his spiky orange head as he plopped down on the blanket. More joined them. Rukia sat down next to Ichigo with Orihime on his other side, Ishida and Chad sitting a little awkwardly off the blanket.

"Gomen nasai, this is Elizabeth...Eh, Ritza." Renji said, turning a little red. Byakuya huffed.

"Abarai nearly destroyed her house." He scoffed, turning back to look at the fireworks.

"Nee-sama, Renji, is that true?" Rukia asked. Renji only went redder.

"Yeah...But it was Ichigo's damn fault! Baka! Can't even keep our fights out of civilian homes!" Renji scoffed, turning his nose up and smirking as Rukia gave Ichigo a narrow eyed look.

Ishida pushed his glasses up, raising a dark eyebrow at Ritza. "So my assumption is that you are making Abarai clean up his mess, is that right?" he asked, looking at the red-headed female with an interested look.

"Correct." Ritza said with an accepting nod.

"Careless Shinigami."Ishida snorted, looking to Ichigo. "And representative...Why aren't you there helping?"

"Eh...I really didn't know..."Ichigo said, now more embarrassed and now getting a heated look from Ritza. "It's not that I wouldn't help but we've got hollow problems nowadays! Eh heh..."He said, but the look didn't go away but softened when she felt a hand on her shoulder, looking to Byakuya.

"Rukia...Ichigo is your replacement...In the next few days, I expect him to help come over and clean. Ritza-san...if you'd be so kind to give Rukia your address..."

"Sure thing."Ritza said, glad things were settled. She borrowed a pen and paper from Ishida who apparently had one stuffed into the sleeve of his blue and white yukata. Scribbling it down along with her phone number, she handed it over, Rukia accepting it with a nod. The evening was very quiet afterwards, some of the group leaving because of school the next day. Ritza stretched out on the blanket, arms above her head lazily. The Bento had been eaten down to the ginger and wasabi, Ichigo's posse having helped devour most of it. Renji and Byakuya sat quietly, sipping their drinks.

"We should be going soon...Festival is almost over."Byakuya said as he watched Renji clean up the Bento. Ritza sat up on her elbows.

"Oh...alright..."She said, a bit solemnly. "Could you help me fold up the blanket?" She asked, getting up and starting to pat her yukata down, starting to lift the ends of it. Byakuya got up, Renji following behind him a bit grumpily as he grabbed what was left to be put away. A few minutes later they were back home again, setting things to be cleaned down and going to change into their nightclothes. Renji went out to the living room, plopping down lazily on his stomach since his back was burning even with the cool evening outside. Ritza soon joined him in her bath robe, her legs stretched out in front of her with the television on after having a nice hot bath which Byakuya now occupied.

"Mmm...that was fun. And guess what Renji, you get help tomorrow from Ichigo." She teased, yawning a little.

"Keh, don't need him. He'll mess up what I already started." He snorted, wincing a bit as he rolled over onto his side. "Stupid representative can't do anything right without Rukia-sama close by."

"You really like Rukia don't you?"Ritza said, giving him a coy look. "You do don't you, it was written alllllll over your face tonight."

"Did not!" Renji said, now sitting straight up. "Rukia and I have been friends since childhood and she's nobility now! I can't..."

"I see."Ritza said, scooting closer and running her fingers through his ponytail. "Because of Byakuya...?"

Renji couldn't help but nod. "I wanted to become stronger...So I could take her back...but I can't, and I feel helpless for it."He said, rubbing his chin.

"Well...you're still friends aren't you? What are friends for?"Ritza said, kissing his forehead where his widow's peak pointed downwards. "I'll run out and get that aloe tonight. There should be a store open around this time somewhere." She said as she stood, dusting her bottom off. "Tell Byakuya-kun I went out okay?"

"Right..."Renji grumbled.

Out in the streets after Ritza got dressed, she thought a lot on what had happened in the past few days after meeting Renji and Byakuya.

"_Renji really is sweet...despite trying to put on a tough act. I know he really likes Rukia...but what can I do?"_ She pondered as she purchased a few bottles of aloe and something sweet to munch on the way home. Walking through the streets, she stopped at the back gate to her home, staring at the ground. '_More like...What will I do...'_

Back inside she sat down in the living room with Renji, helping to slather his back in aloe, rubbing it in as gently as she could. Ritza tried giving him a massage, seeing if he would give her a good response. He moaned, letting out a whimper at the end of each one.

"Man...you have no idea how good that feels." He moaned, shifting his shoulders some before he felt a weight on his back as Ritza sat on him, more towards his firm buttocks. She rubbed his back, using aloe like oil as she massaged him more and more.

"I have a good idea what it feels like..."She said as her fingers traced the tattoos down his back, causing him to shiver and arch a little. "Ooo, did that tickle?"

"A little." Renji said, stiffening a little before he was gently pushed down. The sensation started up again though he couldn't help but arch and groan a little as her fingers traced along the thick black marks there. What was she doing to him? He could feel himself stiffening lower and lower to the point it was difficult to just like on his stomach. Renji felt like rolling over, keeping her away from the marks on his back which he did, causing her to raise up some onto his back and lay on it, sticking his tongue out at her.

"Ha..."He said, slipping his tongue back in before he felt the same sensation, this time, at his front as her fingers raked along those marks too. He groaned, this time, visibly.

"Ha, back...No matter where you roll, it's still going to tickle." Ritza teased as she continued to run her fingers along his skin. "I've got you Lieutenant." She add.

"Grreeat...And I'm going to be in huge trouble when Taicho-sama comes in here..."He groaned, her hands having wandered a little more lower, getting braver by the minute.

"And what, exactly, would happen when I come in?" Byakuya said, standing in a pair of red shorts and a white shirt, exposing his noblily pale legs.

"Have a nice bath Byakuya-kun?" Ritza teased, still sitting on Renji's stomach.

"Indeed...Are you enjoying her company Abarai?" The squad captain chortled.

Renji reddened and looked away. Ritza stood, patting his stomach and climbing off to clean up some of the aloe. The Captain sat down in front of the television, a hand towel serving to keep his silky black locks off his back while it was still wet. Renji rolled over, got up and retreated from the room, leaving Ritza confused.

"Abarai isn't always ignorant." A deep voice lingered in her ear. "Just...unsure..."

"I know...still...Hey, what are you getting at?"Ritza huffed, inching away. "I don't like him, he's just working for me.

"Sure."The voice sounded off again. Ritza sighed, getting up and went to go see about putting the aloe away. When she got to the bathroom, Renji had his hair down, brushing it out and braiding it back before bed. She paused, watching, leaning in the doorway some with a dreamy look.

"It seems almost all Shinigami keep their hair long..."Ritza said, getting his attention when he dropped the band he used to keep it back.

"Heh, shows what you've seen. Ikkaku is balder than a newborn and the Head Taicho has just a beard, no hair at all." Renji scoffed some. A laugh broke his act.

"Really? I can't believe it."Ritza said, laughing and holding her side as she moved to the sink to place the Aloe in the 'swinging mirror box.'

"Really. Yachiro-taicho makes fun of it and bites him. It's weird..."Renji said, now leaning on the wall between the sink and bath. Ritza made a small advancement, leaning against him, her chest pressed against his. The Shinigami swallowed, looking up and away. She had him now, he couldn't get away.

"I don't know what you're doing...but I ain't fallin' for it." Renji said, his eyebrows furrowing.

"Is that a fact?"She teased at him. "You know...it's alright to love your best friend...but she'll never get it at first."

Those words made his heart race into his throat, the taste of acid tickling his tonsils. Rukia never knew anything...not at all about what he really felt. They'd been friends as kids and even then, he felt a deep connection with her...but he'd been over zealous. He sent her off to Byakuya where his fingers could no longer touch and because of his rank, no longer be associated with. He let out a long sigh, leaning his head down to touch hers gently.

"The truth is...I never wanted to see her go. I never wanted Byakuya to take her..but our goals...they got all..."He started before he felt fingers run along his neck, causing him to shiver, a pair of peach-soft lips pressing against his.


	5. Chapter 5: Hollow

Gomenasai! I'm definitely back for another update. I'd like to thank some fans who have inspired me to keep writing and also with the brainstorming process. Thank you Hotaru and her friend! They've both taken the extra step and made it into a fun RP between the two of them. Hotaru has helped me brainstorm some plot for the next chapter as well. Plus they've shown this to more fans who will hopefully keep watching for updates.

Arigato Gozaimasu!

Ch 5: **Hollow**

Elizabeth kept her kiss brief but Renji wasn't going to let her shy away so quickly after getting him so aroused. He let her move away only slightly and leaned forward in ensnare her once more, making her lean up and into him as she became trapped in his return of affection.

'_Crap…He's really got me this time…'_Riza thought as she slinked her arms around him more, her hands fiddling to pull the braid up slowly and pull the band away from his braid, letting it slip out of its plaid and into her awaiting fingers.

Renji pulled away only briefly and smirked. "I worked hard on that braid."He said, bringing a hand through his fiery hair. Riza laughed.

"I'm so used to it up in a ponytail…And I can see the tattoos on your neck. Why do you have so many?"She asked, her hand moving to trace one of the prominent ones on his forehead.

Renji furrowed his brow, making them move along her finger and migrate downwards.

"They're my victories. For every person or hollow I've beaten, there's another mark added. It's my way of saying 'I'm getting stronger'."He said, bringing his hand up and moving hers back down to in between them.

"What happens if you lose a fight?"Riza inquired.

"I don't add any more…"He said a bit solemnly.

Elizabeth pouted but slid her lips into a smile, reaching up to peck his lips once. "Then keep adding them. All the way down to your toes, okay?"She said, fluffing his hair a bit and then turning to leave the bathroom. Renji stared at the spot she stood, a bit stunned. Blinking, he just huffed.

_'Of course I won't lose…Baka Onna…'_He said as he reached back to tie his hair back again…but only to find that the hair band he had been using was stolen. '_Sneaky little…Why'd she walk off with it?!'_

Meanwhile, Elizabeth had retreated to her bedroom for the night with her prize in her hand. She didn't know if he had brought another one or not with him from the Soul Society but either way, it meant she could play with him tomorrow too. Maybe brush his hair and tease him a bit. Despite her parents never checking in, this was fun knowing she could have guests over and they were both so handsome.

And Renji was a sight to behold. All those tattoos…and that gorgeous red hair that some American women would die to have in a bottle and have it for their own. At least that's what people would tell her parents as a child. For some odd reason, she was the only one that caught the 'red gene' in the family. Scratching at her head, she slipped into her bedroom just in time to hear someone come down the hall and screech to a halt.

"Oye! I can't sleep with my hair down, give it back!"He said, banging on her door.

"Nope," Riza chimed and leaned against her bedroom door. "If you don't want to get in trouble with Bya-kun, then go to bed. I don't think you'll want to see him if he's lost his beauty sleep."She laughed as she moved away to get dressed in her night clothes.

The tattooed man swallowed a bit, looking down the hall. From the corner, he could see the glimpse of an angry eye amongst inky locks staring at him with the intent to kill. Renji swallowed, and started to move down the hall to where he was rooming.

"Told ya…"Elizabeth sighed as she heard the footsteps recede down the hall, leaving the house very quiet. Slipping into bed, she slid the hairband around her wrist, looking up at it through the tiny bit of moonlight that shimmered through her window. There was a fine red hair coiled around it which she fiddled with, before rolling over and drifting off.

The following morning Ichigo, Rukia and Orihime dropped by the house, the Representative Shinigami dressed for work. Rukia, of course, made him come.

"Why do I have to come? It was that stupid tattoo-face that wrecked her house." Ichigo mumbled. Rukia gave him a smack on his back.

"Consider this another duty from the soul society."Rukia said, grinning up at him. She was tiny, but she knew how to get what she wanted out of the taller, orange-haired teenager. Orihime giggled and knocked on the back gate of Riza's home.

"Yeah, yeah, Duty."He said as he pulled a bandana from his pocket, tying it about his head to keep his bangs from his face and hair off of his neck.

It was Elizabeth who answered.

"Hello Other house destroyer. Come right in. Renji's in the garden trying to fix the Koi pond…and needs some help with the heavy lifting."She said, leaving the door open for them to come in. Ichigo grumbled, following with the two girls following right behind him.

"So, Ereezabethu-kun, what high school do you go to?"Orihime asked, trotting up to the new red-head of the group.

"Sariyashi….It's outside of Karakura…"She answered with a bit of a blush. People. People with questions…She wasn't used to it. At the back of the house, Renji was attempting to roll one of the boulders that would go around the bowl of the koi pond to the spot he had cleared for it.

"What's the matter, Abarai? Can't lift it yourself?"Ichigo bantered as he went over to harass the red-head before going to one end of the boulder and helping him to lift it.

"Yeah, yeah, just lift it Kurosaki."He said as he lifted and pushed it in his direction toward the pond.

The girls in the meantime plopped down on the back porch with an ice-pop each, watching the two work on the backyard. Byakuya had left again for the Soul Society just as they had arrived and most likely because of the Captain's meeting he had mentioned that morning at breakfast.

"We should go do something fun and leave them to work. Maybe we can buy them a treat or something, like a cake?"Orihime said cheerfully as she finished her ice pop.

"They shouldn't be rewarded for repairing something they broke in the first place."Elizabeth said flatly as she chewed on her popsicle stick.

"That's true…"Rukia agreed.

"Come on! At least we can go have some fun then!"The orange-haired girl piped, grabbing the two of them and pulling them inside so Elizabeth could change clothes. In her bedroom, she sat on the bed while Orihime pulled out a couple of items of clothing, tossing it her way. Elizabeth held up a purple tank-top, raising an eyebrow.

"Isn't this…A little scantly to be going out on a hot day like today? Can't I wear a t-shirt or something?"She asked, pouting a little. Orihime shook her waves of orange hair with a smile.

"Nope! Today is supposed to be a little cooler than what we've had for the past few days. We should all take this chance to get a little sun today."She said as she hustled Rukia along to let Elizabeth get changed. The fiery red head changed her clothes into a purple tanktop, some dark blue-jeans and a pair of black boots she enjoyed wearing occasionally. Orihime giggled delightfully when she came out, helping her fluff her hair a bit and off they went.

As they walked through the garden, Renji and Ichigo had started to carry another stone to the koi pond when the girls walked through. They stopped, stared at each other then stared at them, Renji's eyes following to Riza's long legs up to her shaded face.

"Where are you going?"Ichigo said as he dropped his end of the rock, leaving his comrade to lift the weight and then fall back with a heavy thud, the boulder on top of him.

"Out shopping Kurosaki-kun! Would you like anything while we're in town?"Orihime asked.

"Nah, go on ahead."Ichigo said as he waved them off, looking down at Renji who was twitching under the boulder. "What are you doing on the ground?"

"BAKA! Yo-You dropped it on me!"Renji squelched under the weight, struggling to push it off of him.

Ichigo smirked and helped to push it off and leaned against it. "Weak…whatever would Rukia or Riza think about that hm?"The teen grinned, getting a huff from the spikey-haired one brushing himself off.

"That's none of your business. Back to work representative."Renji blushed, huffing and picking up his end of the boulder.

Meanwhile, the girls had made their way into the busier streets of Karakura, window shopping and giggling about the random little compliments they would receive as they tried on clothes. Elizabeth really wasn't one to go through the process of a fashion show but she did try on a few jackets. However, something did catch her eye as they were walking by a jewelry store. It was just a cheap necklace but for some reason, it reminded her strongly of Renji. It was a black pendant with a red sort of gem in the middle with a streak across it, making it look like an eye. Raising her eyebrows, she pressed her nose against the window.

"Oh? Do you like it?"Rukia asked, leaning in behind her.

Riza nodded. "It reminds me of someone…I just can't put my finger on it for some reason…"She said as she flushed a little and moved away from the window. "Probably an old friend or something. Anyway, let's go grab some lunch."

"Alright~!"Orihime chimed in behind them as they started down the sidewalk.

As they headed down the street, Rukia's phone started to beep. As she peeked at it, Orihime stood at her side, observing the screen.

"There's a hollow in our immediate area."Rukia said darkly, looking to Elizabeth. "Find a place to hide."

"Hide? What the hell is a hollow?"She said, receiving an ear-ringing cry behind her, a black figure seemingly gliding along the cement like it was nothing from around a building. No others seemed to hear it and walked casually along it. Rukia and Orihime had stanced themselves, ready for battle at any moment.

"Is that—"Elizabeth said, frozen in place.

"Run!"Orihime cried. The hollow had spotted them, a long blue tongue sliding from its mouth in anticipation of a meal. A soul was good but nothing compared to humans…powerful humans at that.

Elizabeth looked back at the orange-haired female and did just that. Ran. To where, just somewhere close-by. She ducked into an alleyway, peeking around the corner. As she had turned around, Rukia had released herself from her gigai and Orihime was starting to fend off the hollow with her little army of what looked like origami birds.

"I thought she said to run."A voice whispered close to her ear, causing her to jump. As she whipped around, Renji was looking down at her, Zabimaru on his shoulder in its released form.

"Renji!"She squealed, nearly jumping out of her shoes.

"The one and only. Now get going."He said, indicating down the alleyway where it lead into the next street.

Elizabeth couldn't argue with that, nodding and running off…though stopping at the end of the alleyway to look back just as Renji's long red tail disappeared around the bricks. Walking back down quietly, she edged slowly around the corner. The cries of the hollow were getting much louder and the trashcans in the alley were starting to rattle and tremble with every step. Swallowing hard, she peeked around the bricks, before a large figure flew in her general direction and she ducked back in. Just outside of the alley, the hollow had been knocked down, forcing itself to get up and growling before catching a glimpse of red in the corner of its eye.

It let out a roar that left Riza paralyzed.

"Riza! Move!"Rukia cried out when the hollow formed tentacles from it's hand, extending towards her.

"I-I can't!"She said, grinding her teeth together until the tentacles had wrapped around her limbs, dragging her out of the alleyway and out in front of the hollow like a human shield.

"Dammit, this one's smarter than some of the others…"Renji seethed, getting up after having been knocked down.

"RENJI MOVE!"Orihime cried when more tentacles from the other hand started to shoot at him, causing him to have to dodge and roll out of the way, receiving a few scrapes along the pavement.

"_It seems the man has a infatuation with this human…It'll make it all the more delicious when I devour your souls…"_The hollow purred, the tentacles wrapping tighter around Elizabeth's arms and legs, pulling in different directions to put her in a wide spread-eagle in front of itself. The end of one grazed between her legs, Riza recoiling at the touch.

"Watch where you're touching!"She growled, whipping her head back and narrowing her eyes at it.

"_Oh? It still seems she has some bite to her…"_The hollow grinned and pulled tighter, Riza turning back around grimicing as her limbs were pulled to the point they felt like they would pop out of their sockets.

"Stop provoking it Baka Onna!"Renji cursed at her, starting the charge. "Howl, Zabimaru!"

"Wait Renji you'll hit her!"Rukia cried out though Renji didn't stop. It seemed he had a plan. As he had extended Zabimaru forward, it avoided Riza and shot around to attack the hollow in it's face while also cutting off one of the tentacles. It fell off of Riza's right arm and writhed on the ground.

"Reckless as always…"A smooth voice said behind the two girls, stanced to charge if needed. Byakuya looked at them with his cool, calm gaze, focusing back to the hollow. "Why hasn't this been taken care of already?"

"It's taken Riza, Kuchiki-sama! We can't attack without hitting her too."Orihime explained, pointing to the dangling Riza. The hollow had let go of her other arm and started to just hang her by her feet so she was upside-down.

"Typical."Byakuya scoffed, pulling out his sword from it's sheath. "Scatter….Senbonzakura…"

The showers of cherry blossom petals from Byakuya's sword, dancing around and moving in a giant wave until it enveloped the hollow. Riza fell, flailing until she was caught by the Captain who dashed away to a safe distance.

"Are you okay?"He asked, though hushed.

"M-my arm is burning up!"Riza panicked, holding her right arm and rocking.

Looking down, Byakuya's eyebrows raised, looking down at the blackened limb being cradled. Looking to the Hollow, who had managed to survive his attack, his eyes narrowed.


	6. Chapter 6:Hurt and Conflict

**Chapter 6: Hurt and Conflict**

Riza lay in Byakuya's arms, cradling her blackened arm and looking up to the dark-haired warrior that held her so carefully while he stared down the Hollow.

"Bya…kuya…"She whined weakly, her body hot and feverish.

"It will be alright…You. Women. Take care of her."Byakuya addressed. Despite the curt order, Orihime and Rukia helped to get the injured girl to safety inside of an alleyway. Orihime started to heal her, while Rukia kept watch.

"Riza-kun, you'll be ok…"Orihime cooed, her healing orange aura focused on keeping the Hollow's poison at bay. Riza was in and out of consciousness the entire time. She could hear the crashes as they fought, seeing a blur of red go flying back with a bright flash of pink go whirring back from where the red had come from. Managing to sit up, she stared, trying to focus her eyes.

Meanwhile, Renji was on the ground, scathed and broken in several areas. Zabimaru had reverted back to its lean katana form, Renji's hair splayed out on the ground like silky red coils. Byakuya was standing in front of him, using the razorblade-like sakura blossoms to start to hack the Hollow to pieces. When it stopped moving, twitching on the ground, he turned back to survey the damage that had been brutally put upon Renji. As he knelt down to touch to see if he was still breathing, there was a hot flash of pain though his foot, stomach and shoulder.

The hollow had made one last attempt to try to kill the Captain that had managed to bring it to the brink of death. The tendrils that had skewered Byakuya faded away as the Hollow ceased to exist.

"U—Un…"The Taicho grunted as his knees buckled.

"Onii-sama!" Rukia called, immediately going to his side. Riza's eyebrows furrowed, stumbling out of the Alley with Orihime behind her, ready to catch her at any point she might fall over.

"Byakuya…Renji…"Riza called out, kneeling on the ground near the both of them.

"We should get them to Urahara's before someone sees us."Rukia said seriously.

"Who is Urahara?"Riza asked, never having seen or heard of this person before.

At Urahara's shop, Riza sat staring at a man with a stripped hat and a shop coat who fanned himself with an ear-to-ear grin.

"Yoooo…So what brings you to Kurosaki's group?" Urahara chimed while Riza twitched a bit uncomfortably on the pillow she was kneeled on.

"Kurosaki's group?"Elizabeth questioned.

"Indeed. And what a find too. It's not surprising though considering it's Karakura."The shopkeeper smiled, turning only slightly when a small girl with black hair in pigtails brought in tea.

"Here. For you."She said meekly before scooting out of the room just as quickly as she had come.

Riza stared at the tea then cast a confused look to Urahara. "What does me living in Karakura and suddenly part of 'Kurosaki's group' have to do with anything?"She asked, frowning.

"Well, for one, you have the ability to see the Shinigami when they're out of their Gigai. Another is that you were able to see the hollow from what I understand. Heh, it's kind of like how Ichigo started off as well. I wonder who will give up their powers this time…"Urahara smirked confidently.

"Riiight…."She said, looking up again when Orihime and Rukia came back into the small sitting room. "How are they?"

"They should be okay. I took care of the big wounds but some of the smaller ones I will be able to heal later on after a rest."Orihime said with a smile, sitting beside Rukia. "You can go see them if you'd like. They're just resting now."

Riza nodded, getting to her feet and quietly leaving the room. Outside, there was a red-headed boy and the same girl sitting outside, listening carefully. They looked at her cautiously, probably unsure what to make of the new person. Walking down the hall, there was a room off to the side with two futons laid out and the two sleeping men sleeping peacefully. Quietly walking in, she kneeled down by their feet, sitting there and watching them.

Renji's face was covered in bandaids but Byakuya's was completely clean of any nicks and scratches. Both were pale from the loss of blood, but did not make a sound. Not even a snore. Adjusting, she moved by their heads though found herself in a situation that couldn't be more awkward.

Who to touch? Give attention to and brush the stray strands of hair away from their faces. Swallowing, she sat there gritting her teeth. Well….Byakuya was more quiet, more gentleman like…but Renji brought a vivacious fire from somewhere in her stomach that seemed to want to burst. Shifting a bit, she looked down at her lap.

'What now…'She thought, hearing one of them shift a bit to roll onto his side. It was Renji. Looking at him, she managed a smile, reaching out and gently moving a bit of his lusciously long red hair out of the way. The shinigami smiled slightly, reaching a hand up to touch hers, bringing it down to hold it soothingly. Blushing, Riza was pretty much stuck.

However, she didn't fight it. Moving, she settled down between their heads, her forehead gently touching with the tattooed one. Slowly, she started to drift off to sleep , nestled near two warm bodies.

As Riza started to drift off, a solemn eye opened to stare at the back of her fiery red head, watching as she would nuzzle Renji's forehead once in a while to get comfortable. Byakuya mentally sighed.

'You win, Abarai...Perhaps it's not my time to start over again…but yours.'He thought to himself, his eyes sliding closed as he drifted back to sleep.

Morning slipped through the shoji screen window, shining on a pair of red-heads curled up together on the futon. During the night, Renji had slyly got up and moved her so she was under the futon with him, spooned in front of him. Byakuya had gotten up at some point and had gone back to the Soul Society to catch up on needed rest and work. Snuggling a little, she felt a solid being behind her, slowly opening her eyes. Blinking, she reoriented herself, rolling over but feeling something…hot…groping along her hip. Eyes fluttering, she lifted the blanket, seeing a large masculine hand having cupped her hip and now was resting on her bottom. Her nostrils flared, rolling to look at Renji.

"Per….VEEEERRTT!"She screamed right at his face, Renji jumping up and scrambling back. Riza got up off of the futon, standing to her feet while her hair was sleep mussed and disorganized. "Groping me in my sleep, what kinda person does that to a sleeping woman?!"She growled.

"It was an accident I swear!"Renji said before a pillow was thrown at him and the figure of Riza left the room. Getting up to his feet, he followed.

"Listen!"Renji said, grabbing her arm.

"To what?!"

"To what I have to say! It really was an accident, ya know! Don't go jumpin' to any conclusions at all hours of the morning!"He yelled.

"Afternoon."Urahara chimed from the sitting room.

"Right Afternoo—Wait, it's this late already?"Renji said, sliding the shoji open to look at the clock in the room. Riza rolled her eyes with a huff. Well, it was a…Wait…what day was it?

"Urahara…what day is it?"Riza asked.

"Monday."

"Crap, I'm WAAAY late for school!"She said, looking around and going to find her boots that she had worn yesterday. There was no point in going to school so late in the afternoon but she could at least make a few calls from home to her friends for her missing notes and lectures. Sitting on the porch, she pulled on her boots, grabbing her purse and headed out.

Renji was not far behind her. "I'm not done yet!"He shouted, running after her.

"And I am!"Riza shouted, starting to bolt. Even in boots with heels, she could run pretty fast.

They both ran through town, their red hair blazing behind them. When Riza reached the front gate, she slammed it, running inside and heading to her room. She just wanted some peace right then and there with no screaming tattooed pineapple-head chasing after her, screaming. Falling onto her bed, she lay there, staring at the ceiling with an annoyed look. It wasn't long until the pineapple-head himself showed up, opening her door and barging in. Shit…she'd forgotten to lock it.

"Oye."Renji said, arms in his sleeve. "I'm not done…"

"Go away."Riza sighed, bringing a pillow to cover her face. "I'm not listening to an ass-grabbing pervert."

There was a swift tug and the pillow flew out of her hands. Renji was on all fours on top of her, staring down at her. His hair was down, having never fixed it after putting his clothes back on at Urahara's. It tickled and coiled along her chest as his dark eyes focused intently on hers.

"It was an accident. You fell asleep, I rolled over….And that's not all."He said darkly, Riza having no choice but to look at him.

"Really…What else is there, Abarai Renji-baka…"She taunted, eyes narrowed.

"I…love you."


End file.
